第15部分(第1/7 页)

ible。　So　let　cressets　flare　into　the　night　from　all　the　hills！　It　is　no　purchased　exultation；　no　servile　flattery。　The　People　acclaims　itself；　yet　not　without　genuine　gratitude　and　affection　towards　the　Representative　of　its　glory　and　its　power。　The　Constitutional　pact　has　been　well　preserved。　Review　the　record　of　kingdoms；　and　say　how　often　it　has　e　to　pass　that　sovereign　and　people　rejoiced　together　over　bloodless　victories。

XXI

At　an　inn　in　the　north　I　once　heard　three　men　talking　at　their　breakfast　on　the　question　of　diet。　They　agreed　that　most　people　ate　too　much　meat；　and　one　of　them　went　so　far　as　to　declare　that；　for　his　part；　he　rather　preferred　vegetables　and　fruit。　〃Why；〃　he　said；　〃will　you　believe　me　that　I　sometimes　make　a　breakfast　of　apples？〃　This　announcement　was　received　in　silence；　evidently　the　two　listeners　didn't　quite　know　what　to　think　of　it。　Thereupon　the　speaker；　in　rather　a　blustering　tone；　cried　out；　〃Yes；　I　can　make　a　very　good　breakfast　on　TWO　OR　THREE　POUNDS　OF　APPLES。〃

Wasn't　it　amusing？　And　wasn't　it　characteristic？　This　honest　Briton　had　gone　too　far　in　frankness。　'Tis　all　very　well　to　like　vegetables　and　fruits　up　to　a　certain　point；　but　to　breakfast　on　apples！　His　panions'　silence　proved　that　they　were　just　a　little　ashamed　of　him；　his　confession　savoured　of　poverty　or　meanness；　to　right　himself　in　their　opinion；　nothing　better　occurred　to　the　man　than　to　protest　that　he　ate　apples；　yes；　but　not　merely　one　or　two；　he　ate　them　largely；　BY　THE　POUND！　I　laughed　at　the　fellow；　but　I　thoroughly　understood　him；　so　would　every　Englishman；　for　at　the　root　of　our　being　is　a　hatred　of　parsimony。　This　manifests　itself　in　all　sorts　of　ludicrous　or　contemptible　forms；　but　no　less　is　it　the　source　of　our　finest　qualities。　An